Westfield Young Matildas trounce Germany

The Westfield Young Matildas excellent preparations for the AFC U20 Women’s Championship in July/August have continued after they recorded a convincing 3-0 win over Germany in their friendly international match played in Varese, Italy overnight.

The Westfield Young Matildas excellent preparations for the AFC U20 Women-s Championship in July/August have continued after they recorded a convincing 3-0 win over Germany in their friendly international match played in Varese, Italy overnight.

An own goal had given Australia a 1-0 half time lead and it was extended late in the game with goals from Kyah Simon and Nicola Bolger.

Australian coach Alen Stajcic was ecstatic with the result, especially after the hectic schedule of the past five days in very hot conditions.

“Tremendous result, especially considering it's our third game in five days,” an elated Stajcic said after the game.

“However we're not getting carried away, as the performance was in patches, especially in terms of keeping the ball, which wasn't up to our usual standard.”

It was even start to the match, with no real chances for either side. Germany started to get the better from the 10th minute mark and put constant pressure on the Australian defence, with the Westfield Young Matildas turning over too much ball.

Australia-s first real threat on goal didn-t arrive until the 22nd minute when Elise Kellond-Knight-s dangerous cross was fumbled by the keeper and grabbed desperately at the second attempt.

Germany went close a few minutes later with a header just wide and continued to press forward, although around the half hour mark, Australia-s play started to improve and chances started to come.

Simon hit a shot over the crossbar twice from virtually the same spot wide out within a minute of one another, while Kellond-Knight saw a free kick cleared away for a corner. It was this corner that Australia went a goal up after 37 minutes.

Kellond-Knight-s in-swinging corner saw Alesha Clifford jump for the ball with the German keeper Almuth Schult, who failed to hold the ball and it went backwards into the net.

Simon could have made it 2-0 a minute later, when she was one-on-one with the Schult, who managed to just get a touch to the ball as the Central Coast Mariners striker tried to go around her.

Most of Germany-s best chances were coming from free kicks and Dumont did well to collect a dangerous shot soon after.

Simon was proving dangerous and two minutes after the break, had a shot well blocked by the substitute keeper Ann-Katrin Berger.

Germany continued to press for an equaliser, but the Australian defence was holding firm and Marianna Tabain almost capitalized in the 57th minute, with a good shot that took a slight deflection and just going over the bar.

Germany-s best chance of an equaliser came 10 minutes later, when Dzsenifer Marozsan hit a good shot that went just the wrong side of the post from near the penalty spot.

A minute later Simon went just wide after Sykes had played her through, but the striker didn-t have to wait long for her reward, when she was played in behind the defence by Tabain and her angled shot was too good for Berger.

To Germany-s credit they kept pressing and had Australia-s defence under pressure and grabbed a third in the 89th minute, when a quick transition forward down the left through Simon, who beat keeper out wide and then crossed to Bolger and finished into the open goal.

That capped off a magnificent win for the Westfield Young Matildas against one of the powerhouse nations in women-s football and host of the FIFA U20 Women-s World Cup next year.

“I was particularly pleased with Jessica Seaman in defence and Casey Dumont was superb in goals,” Stajcic added.

“Tameka Butt and Kyah Simon led by example and were terrific in attack and Simon provided a spark for most of our opportunities.

“To get a win like that against such a quality opponent will certainly do a lot for the team-s confidence, but again we still have a bit of work to do.”

The team will now play against a local club team, with the Thailand now repalced with a game against a Thailand Select team on Friday June 5 in Bangkok.